From addiction to a £500,000 business: Corby mum builds fast-growing cleaning company in just 18 months

Rebecca Rigney, founder of Northants Squad, has grown her Corby-based cleaning and property services company to nearly £500,000 in revenue in just 18 months, transforming what began as a one-woman operation into a rapidly expanding local business.

But the story behind the company is about far more than business growth.

After overcoming addiction and committing to sobriety, Rebecca decided to rebuild her life by creating something positive — launching a business focused on professionalism, resilience and raising standards within the cleaning industry.

Today, Northants Squad works with landlords, housing providers and commercial clients across Northamptonshire and the wider Midlands.

Through this work, Rebecca and her team regularly encounter people facing difficult circumstances, including mental health struggles, addiction recovery and vulnerable living situations.

Rebecca believes restoring a property can often be the first step in helping people rebuild their lives.

“A lot of the environments we work in involve people going through incredibly difficult periods,” she said.

“Because of my own journey, I understand that sometimes people just need compassion, dignity and a fresh start. Cleaning and restoring a space can actually be part of that process.”

In just 18 months the company has:

• Grown from one person to a growing team

• Generated close to £500,000 in revenue

• Helped restore hundreds of properties across the region

What started as a one-woman operation has now expanded into a professional team delivering specialist services including commercial cleaning, void property turnarounds, biohazard cleaning, window cleaning and property support services.

Rebecca believes the company’s rapid growth has been driven by treating cleaning as a professional service rather than a basic task.

“Cleaning isn’t just about making something look better,” she said. “It’s about restoring spaces, protecting people’s health and creating environments where people can live and work safely.”

Now, with plans to continue expanding the business and creating more employment opportunities locally, Rebecca hopes her journey shows that it is possible to rebuild after life’s most difficult challenges.

“Your past doesn’t define your future,” she said. “If my story shows anything, it’s that change is possible — and sometimes the hardest chapters can lead to something meaningful.”